Call to act on empty homes

a UNION today called for tougher penalties on property owners over empty homes.

Recent figures show there were 70,799 empty dwellings in Scotland – including 4693 in Edinburgh.

GMB Scotland secretary Harry Donaldson said: “In the last decade house prices have increased in nearly all areas. There are also many families on waiting lists for social housing. The system needs to be tilted in such a way that property owners face penalties if they do not take all reasonable steps to ensure that dwellings are occupied.”